Handling of weanlings and yearlings

[Zuri]

[QUOTE=Manni01;7560047]
Wow I guess I’m really lucky with my 10 month old filly. I always handled her when necessary (foal inspection, farrier, vaccinations, deworming, everything around her import to the US) but never really on a regular basis, and she is always friendly, never pushing and behaving perfect with the farrier… Do you all think it might be genetic???[/QUOTE]

I wonder whether it is genetic too. When I do get to go up to the broodmare farm and see my 2 year old filly, I am struck by how loving and friendly she is. She is by Amazing who also has a lovely temperament. It sure does make it nicer for the farrier, vet, handler, BO that she is as easy going as she is. She goes out with other 2 year old fillies and they all have distinct personalities, some not as easy as she is!

[Appsolute]

I not a breeder, I haven’t had many weanlings and yearlings (two year olds yes, babies – no).

When I bought my weaning in 2007, my only horse at the time, many on COTH said “don’t handle too much! Just let them be a baby out in the field! Don’t overdo it!”

Well, from the time she came to me at a right around 5 months old – I handled her. Every day, short sessions. First it was just halter breaking (walking around the property with a butt rope – nothing more than 15 mins) and grooming. I would bring her into a stall every day and handle her. Touch her all over, groom her, feed her, go for a little walk and hand graze.

Walks turned into strolls out on our trails.

Grooming progressed to bathes.

Handling progressed to practicing for the farrier and touching all parts, udders, ears, mouth etc.

In hand work increased to trail obstacles in the arena.

As she got older, the “work” increased. She started going on real hikes with me. Learned how to lunge (not spun into the ground, but understood the concept well).

I tried my best to keep everything stress free and fun. I made my expectations clear, and set boundaries, but made an effort to make things quite enjoyable for her.

Now, almost 7 years later I have a great horse. One who boldly marches were ever I ask her to go, she is fabulous trail horse, a fun jumper (who never stops unless I REALLY screw up), has wonderful ground manners, the type that ground ties, LOVES to be groomed, including baths – she will let you spray her face without protest, foot perfect for the farrier, very people oriented, comes to the door of her stall and asks for pets with pricked ears.

She never had the “terrible twos” or the “terrible fours” or the other “young horse rebellion years” that I have read about on COTH. Since she as backed as a three year old, she has been a very cooperate, game horse. She has never thrown a rider, or even had a meltdown. I feel she has always understood that “work” will be part of her life, but it will be fair – she has a great work ethic, meets every question with a “yes”. I know every horse is different, but I have absolutely zero regrets in handling her regularly as a youngster.

[Kyzteke]

And just for fun, I will play Devil’s Advocate here. For those of interested, rent/buy “Wild Horse, Wild Ride,” about the Mustang Challenge Event. 100 people are given 100 wild caught mustangs straight off the range and given 100 days to see what they can do.

Horses are assigned randomly and there are Jr. Ammie & Pro divisions. The final contest takes place in Texas where competitors have to do a obstacle courses and a free style.

In the documentary (which is very well done btw), there is footage of a 16 yr old kid working w/his mustang…riding him BLINDFOLDED down a deep ravine and back up again. Took him 45 days to get that horse to trust him enough to do that.

The woman who won the pro division had her mustang doing tempi changes…in 100 days!!! Just amazing!

So again, it isn’t how much you work with your horse or what age you start with them…it’s the QUALITY of the work you do (and if you have to “fix” another person’s mistakes).

Awesome flick…check it out!

[SportArab]

I handle all my babies from the time they are born. I can’t imagine waiting till they’re big and strong to teach them what they need to know.

They learn that humans can be nice and offer scratches on itchy spots, but also that they must be respectful and not crowd anyone’s space.

In the first year they learn to lead and pick their feet up for the farrier - and to tie if I have time.

The ones going to inspections or shows get handled even more regularly.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I like moderation, mainly because it works with my life.

My current mare had minimal handling once we got her to accept the halter, lead, load after mom (which just happened with rebreeding) and get used to having feet/ears touched, and learning to tie, etc., and be ready for inspection. She had months off (winter) before we started getting her ready for the yearling in-hand dressage shows. Then she had about a year off, except for farrier, with just occasional grooming (at this point she was in the barn environment though, so daily leading in and out and lots of commotion).

She was super easy as a three year old to start and had the winter off and was perfect the first time under saddle again this month.

I really think it depends on the individual horse and whether or not the handling you do is good. Also what they are exposed to naturally in their environment. My filly saw equipment, screaming grandkids and such as a weanling, showed the next year, and then experienced more of a boarding barn, etc. as a two year old.

Either way with good handling it can be fine. I’m not advocating no handling, obviously, but I definitely was more of a bi-weekly handler than a daily (except leading). She was usually boarded too far away for me to do much more. I wanted her to have big pasture life and that was not possible living in or boarding right next to the city. I do like to start them lightly fall of the three year old year. Just my preference.

[adelmo95]

I think either way can be successful in creating a nice horse down the road. I have two warmbloods who I started this winter: a 3 year old gelding, and a 4 year old mare, and both had completely different amounts of handling leading up to being started.

The gelding was one I bought as a yearling and was my only horse at the time so he got a LOT of attention as I was extremely excited to have been able to purchase a youngster with so much potential. He was living at a boarding stable and got used to coming in to a busy barn, being groomed, and led around the arena when people were doing anything from reining to jumping. I was careful to keep all sessions short and that he was to respect my space. He was EASY to start - he took absolutely everything in stride with respect to his training - the first time I got on I led him up to the mounting block and he casually stood there as I got on. He is one of the most gentle willing youngsters I have ever worked with however I would say that is just who he is rather than it being because of all of his handling at a young age (although I am sure it didn’t do any harm).

The mare I have had minimal handling as a youngster - came in for the farrier, worming etc but that was about it. When I got her I was warned that she was tough to catch and had never been particularly fond of attention but the owner suspected with individual attention she would thrive. I appreciated the warning to keep her in a small space with the halter on for the first while as she would have been virtually impossible to catch without it. After 1 week she was able to be caught in a paddock without a halter being left on and she is now easy to catch out in a huge pasture. When she arrived she was nervous about everything around her and seemed like she was going to be a hot sensitive mare to deal with. She has proven me wrong, she just needed a job: everything I introduced something new to her she relaxed further, and was just as simple to start as the gelding.

Both horses despite completely different initial handling are easy to train, are quiet in a noisy arena with a bunch of horses, can be taken out on a trail ride, and are in general great to handle. The gelding is convinced everyone should be his best friend whereas the mare is a little more reserved however I would say that is just their individual personalities rather than the result of handling.

So basically I would say do what you like with your youngster, just don’t let them do things that you wouldn’t find cute in a full grown horse.

[Appsolute]

@Kyzteke;7560925

The woman who won the pro division had her mustang doing tempi changes…in 100 days!!! Just amazing!

So again, it isn’t how much you work with your horse or what age you start with them…it’s the QUALITY of the work you do (and if you have to “fix” another person’s mistakes).

While I agree, its the QUALITY that is most important - I am also going to argue that it takes TIME as well.

While these mustangs are doing amazing things in 100 days, I am willing to bet the trainers do not achieve these feats by working with the horses for only 15 minutes a day. I bet they put in HOURS and HOURS into these horses. I am sure it is a fairly intense 100 days in order to install that much training in such a short amount of time.

With the same quality of handling, the same results could be achieved over a much longer time period, with the training done in small increments, rather than “boot camp”. A “slow and steady” approach, vs. the “boot camp” method.

[PiedmontSporthorses]

[QUOTE=Kyzteke;7559972]
Yep…alpha wannabe.[/QUOTE]

YUP!!! This sums it up and describes her perfectly!

[Kyzteke]

[QUOTE=Appsolute;7567018]
While I agree, its the QUALITY that is most important - I am also going to argue that it takes TIME as well.

While these mustangs are doing amazing things in 100 days, I am willing to bet the trainers do not achieve these feats by working with the horses for only 15 minutes a day. I bet they put in HOURS and HOURS into these horses. I am sure it is a fairly intense 100 days in order to install that much training in such a short amount of time.

With the same quality of handling, the same results could be achieved over a much longer time period, with the training done in small increments, rather than “boot camp”. A “slow and steady” approach, vs. the “boot camp” method.[/QUOTE]

Interesting point, because the doc doesn’t address how long each training session took…I imagine it varies depending on the trainer.

And I’m one of those people who believe you can easily work with a horse several hours a day if it’s broken up into segments AND you don’t drill the horse over and over on the same thing.

Horses have a great deal of natural curiosity and are intrigued by new things/circumstances/events, so if you play to that characteristic you can do alot.